Over 90 students trapped: Indonesia school collapse rescue enters day 2

Sidoarjo: At least 91 students remain trapped under concrete rubble nearly two days after an Islamic school building collapsed in East Java province, Indonesia. Authorities updated the casualty figures late Tuesday following a review of attendance records and reports from worried families.

The tragedy occurred on Monday afternoon at the century-old Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in Sidoarjo while hundreds, mostly teenage boys aged 12 to 18, were performing prayers in a prayer hall. The structure unexpectedly gave way during an unauthorised expansion, adding two floors to the original two-story building, which reportedly had a weak foundation unable to support the extra weight.

So far, three students have been confirmed dead and around 100 others injured, many suffering from serious head injuries and broken bones. Female students were praying in a separate section of the building and escaped unharmed.

More than 300 rescue workers tirelessly worked through narrow openings in the collapsed "pancake"-style rubble on Wednesday, carefully extricating survivors and delivering oxygen, water, and food to those trapped. However, heavy machinery like cranes or excavators has not been deployed due to fears that such equipment could cause further collapse and harm any survivors.

Authorities remain hopeful as at least six children are believed alive under the debris, though rescue efforts face huge challenges because of unstable slabs of concrete and heavy building materials.

With inputs from PTI